1. Career Planning Seminar for International Students Michael Mandrusiak, Student Counsellor Angela Bohonos, Career Employment Advisor Planning Ahead for the School to Work Transition

2. Overview Trends and service needs in Canada Highlighting our career preparation seminar What can we learn from it?

3. Enrollment Trends International student enrollment is on the rise Active Recruitment strategies Oklahoma City University – 31% Boston University: 4,571 in 1999 Dalton, 1999 72% do not plan to return to country of origin (Spencer-Rodgers, 2000; Parr, Bradley & Bingi, 1992)

4. U of M Enrollment Trends Office of Institutional Statistics, University of Manitoba, 2007 International Students

5. U of M Enrollment Trends International Students Office of Institutional Statistics, University of Manitoba, 2007

6. Country of Origin for Seminar

7. Rationale New responsibilities, knowledge and skill requirements for student development professionals Eg. Wood and Kia (2000) Our own experiences What can I do with an Economics Degree? 90-Day Panic Do international students need career planning?

8. What Students want to know Work permit questions… How do I become “legally employable” in Canada? How do I deal with employers who are reluctant to hire a foregin worker? Job search questions… How do I find job postings? How do I write a cover letter or prepare a resume? Interview… help! Career Preparation questions… I want to know for sure what to do after university To learn about having a career and life in Canada

9. What We Did… 6 session seminar in the Winter term of 2007 Closed group, attendance ranging from 14 to 22 Interactive and fun!! Small groups Food

10. Session 1 Worries and Challenges Language skills Meeting new friends Cultural differences Lack of work experience Jokes/slang Looking stupid International status/ work permits What jobs do I like Interview preparation Small talk Transportation Housing Homesick Winter

11. Session 1: Career Word Game Cantonese PhraseLiteral EnglishMeaning Tao Gai Maw GaoSteal the chicken and feel the dog ??? Ma Doe Gong SingHorse riding breaks the door of success ??? Gai Tong Ap GongChicken talking to a duck ??? Ban Juu Sick Lo FooPretend to be a pig to eat a tiger ???

12. Session 1: Career Word Game Cantonese PhraseLiteral EnglishMeaning Tao Gai Maw GaoSteal the chicken and feel the dog Like a petty thief: Not being honest and open. Ma Doe Gong SingHorse riding breaks the door of success Wishing you a successful and lucky project! Gai Tong Ap GongChicken talking to a duckNot talking the same language, can’t relate/communicate with each other. Ban Juu Sick Lo FooPretend to be a pig to eat a tiger Pretending to be something you are not; using intelligence to manipulate others.

13. Session 2 What is important to you in a career? Learning Financial Return Challenge Achievement Equity & Respect Interest Recognition Location Job Market Contribution Family values

14. Sessions 3-6 Session 3: Matching interests to career possibilities. Identifying potential employers (NOC code, labour market info). Session 4: Work permit info and interview etiquette. Session 5: Job skills and Resume building Session 6: Culmination and reflection.

15. What We Learned…

16. The data… Increase in reported levels of confidence (p<.05) and knowledge (p <.05) Student Ratings of the Career Program Met my needsGood use of timeEnjoyable Mean4.004.154.31 Std. Dev.1.081.281.32 Min2.001.00 Max5.00 Rating of the program (1 = Strongly Disagree; 5 = Strongly Agree)

17. Student Feedback What parts of the seminar did you find helpful? Interviews and resumes Job search skills Learning about the “soft skills” Group discussion Identifying potential employers Practice interviews

18. Student Feedback What might make it more helpful? More time!!! More group discussion Former international students as guest speakers More coverage of resume and cover letter writing

19. Our Observations Sharing of Canadian/western culture (eg. Small talk) Flexibility! Students respond well to small group interaction Need for screening regarding level of acculturation to western culture

20. Our Observations Recognizing external pressures and responding to urgency More active collaboration with other departments needed. Marketing: Rooms/space word of mouth student groups Other campus departments

21. Concluding Points An increase in student diversity comes with a need for programming targeted at meeting the unique needs of these diverse groups. International students represent a growing population on Canadian campuses Preparation for transitioning to a career in Canada is an important need for many international students. Student development professionals can learn from each other as we make creative efforts to respond to the changing and diverse range of student needs.

22. Contact Information Michael Mandrusiak Phone: 204-474-8622 Email: M_Mandrusiak@umanitoba.caM_Mandrusiak@umanitoba.ca Angela Bohonos 204-474-6580 Angela_Bohonos@umanitoba.ca